Is it just us, or have K-drama writers been hitting the “spin-off” button a little too often lately? It feels like more and more shows are being recycled into sequels or extended universes, and while it’s great to see our favorite characters return, we can’t help but wonder: Where are all the bold, new stories that once defined Korean dramas?

Take ‘Resident Playbook’ for example. Currently airing, the series is a spin-off of the widely beloved ‘Hospital Playlist’. And while the original tugged at viewers’ heartstrings and carved a space in K-drama history, this new version has big shoes to fill—and not everyone’s convinced it’s doing that.

Then there’s ‘Squid Game Season 2’. Sure, it’s not technically a spin-off, but the energy is the same. It rides on the wave of a groundbreaking first season, but let’s be real, the sequel didn’t shake the world the way the original did. And that’s kind of the theme here: sequels and spin-offs are rarely as impactful as the first act.

It’s the same story with ‘Strong Girl Nam Soon’, which tried to piggyback off the success of ‘Strong Girl Bong-soon’. While fans were curious, the buzz faded fast. None of these follow-ups have managed to recreate the original magic.

So, what gives? Have writers truly run out of ideas, or are production companies simply choosing the safer route by banking on familiar names and built-in fanbases? Either way, it’s leaving some longtime viewers craving the originality, heart, and creative risks that once made K-dramas so binge-worthy and globally beloved.

Of course, nostalgia has its place, it can be comforting or even exciting, to revisit beloved characters or stories. But when every other series feels like a spin-off, reboot, or spiritual sequel, it starts to blur into the same formula. The magic of K-dramas has always been in their ability to surprise us, to tug at our emotions with fresh storytelling and characters we’ve never quite seen before.

Here’s hoping the next wave of K-dramas breaks free from the franchise cycle and dares to take bold narrative leaps again. Because while comfort is nice, it’s creativity that keeps fans coming back for more.

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